MeGladiator
by Lady-of-Nolava
Summary: Star, a MeGladiator Grim Reaper, needs to find lost souls in California, and finds Susannah for help...
1. Chapter 1

**Me-Gladiator**

Hi. My name's Star. I'm a mediator? No. A Me-Gladiator. Like, escorts of the underworld, or something. Like, I help the ghost to find the afterlife, and then brief him on how to adapt and all. Also, if they don't wanna go to hell, I get to kick their butts.

And I'm in California right now. The Mayor of the Underworld gave me a list of some citizens he wants me to pick up. He also sent me a Terminator. He said, "'Cause the ghost there are too many and too fierce for only a Me-Gladiator to fight."

Terminators are like, the bodyguards of hell. I met one once. I mean, they're BIG, MUSCLY, and TOUGH. The ghosts in Carmel (that's where we're heading) must be super tough or something.

"What about a mediator?" I was saying. "She can tell us about the ghost."

"There's three mediators there. A Father Dominic, A Susannah Simon, and a Paul Slater."

If you can't understand Me-gladiators and Terminators, get this straight: A mediator marries a terminator, and POOF! a Me-Gladiator is born. Just kidding. But really, the concept is somewhat similar.

The Terminator is called Timothy. Haha. Not very tough, but if you ever saw his arms, you wouldn't think he's weedy.

I was driving a car. A Me-Gladiator is a very wealthy person, as I found out. Being almost half-terminator themselves, they are VERY rare. Usually, they're born in the underworld. But I'm not. I was born in a tomb.

Really. My mom was pregnant when she died. They buried her, not thinking that I was still alive. And the "Grim Reaper" (really a Me-Gladiator like me) was reaping her soul, when he spotted me. So he took me to the Underworld and reared me up. Now he's old, and I help him on his job.

We are supposed to go to a school called "Junippira Serra Mision Academy" or something. The mayor had sent the principal a message.

Oh, and the wealth thing? Well, when people die, they bring their money to the grave, right? So, the mayor gets rich from all the offerings. Especially from Asia. People _burn_ money there.

The powers part. Ok, Terminators have superhuman strength (duh, they _are_ superhuman), Me-Galdiators have their wits (yeah, right!), and Mediators got survival instincts.

I was greeted at the door by a brunette and a hot Spanish guy.

Don't ask me how I know he's Spanish. I just know. Maybe it's because I "reaped" so many souls, I'm familiar with their personalities.

"Hey. You must be the Mediator, right?" I asked. "I'm Star." I said, as I got out of my limo, Timothy lurking out the side door. I was wearing a black suit and black shades, very _Terminator_ (I mean the movie). In real life, Terminators are _not_ half-cyborgs. They just aren't full human.

The brunette nodded. "Hi. I'm Susannah Simon, but you can call me Suze. And here's Hector Jesse de Silva." She pointed to the hunk beside her (obviously her boyfriend).

"Just call me Jesse," Jesse grinned.

"Hi. Where's the other Mediator?" I asked.

"You mean me?" A guy with curly brown hair walked out, smiling roguishly at Susannah. I hate guys with curly hair. Maybe it's 'cause I have curly brown hair as well. But I dyed it black with red highlights. Cool, huh?

"No. I mean your principal." I just hated that guy on sight. He must be Paul Slater. The renowned Mediator who disturbs the Me-Gladiators, 'cause he keeps on disrupting the Death Timeline by going back in time.

Susannah and Jesse escorted me to the priest's office. He was a tall man in his sixties, looking very wise (etc. Obi-wan Kenobi-like).

"Good morning, Ms—" He started.

"I don't have a surname. Just call me Star." I said.

Actually, I have. My real name is not Star. It used to be Angel. Can you imagine how icky that would be, a Me-Gladiator called Angel, wearing Gothic black punk leather pants? Worse still, my surname is snow. _Angel Snow_. Yeah, right. Or imagine Star Snow. NO WAY!

"Ok, um, Star. There is a sudden revival of spirits here. Like, maybe the spirits all escaped from Underworld and wants to wreck havoc here?"

"That's impossible. Terminators are concierges there. They would stop any ghosts leaking out."

"I know. But, Alas, someone has been spreading rumours that the Mayor is not paying the Terminators. So they're on 'strike', letting spirits out if they bribe them."

"That's horrible! Captain Timothy, anything like that happened?" I cried, turning to Timothy.

The burly "man" nodded. "I told my men not to believe them. I don't know about the others."

Contrary to popular beliefs (does anyone even believe in terminators? Ok, the citizens of Underworld's beliefs), Terminator-ing is actually a job. You get money from it. During the holidays (etc. Halloween), you can go on a shopping spree and buy lots of tough-

looking leather pants to look tough.

"Look, ask your men to spread the news that the rumours are false. We need to find the 'lost souls' first. Can you mediators tell me where the ghosts are? I'll whiz there and find them."

Now, besides our wits, Me-Gladiators have other powers. Like teleportation, or we call me "whizzing". Otherwise how do you think they go all over the world, taking a thousand souls each day? By airplane?

Unbeknownst to Susannah, she has a power too. Reading people's minds (like that creep Paul Slater) and going back in time (creep Slater again). Also, they have a weak telekinesis.

And Terminators are invincible. They cannot die (duh! They're living in Underworld!), I mean, people can't hurt them. They're just gruff uncles, looks fierce but is actually quite friendly.

"Oh. Well, I think I saw some in the graveyard, but I'm not sure." Susannah said doubtfully.

"I think they're in the shopping malls. Gorging themselves. Or wrecking havoc in cities.

Very funny. Ghosts in the underworld don't _need_ to shop—they just morph. They just slip out of their skin, kinda like cockroaches. They can change faces and all. Not their branding, never.

Me-Gladiators can shape-shift. Not a lot. Just hair-colour, hair length, height, weight, size, eye colour, skin-colour… that sort of thing. No full body morphing.

"Oh, well. Me and Timothy will check out the graveyards first. Then we'll whizz back here and tell you what we found."

"You mean, materialize?" Slater asked slyly.

You toot! There's different names for that! Ghosts materialise, Me-Gladiators whizz, Charmed Ones orb, Devils teleport, Mediums astral-project... It all means the same. Moving from place to place.

I turned to Jesse. "Jesse, would you mind doing me a favour? Kill him for me? I'd like to bring him back home."

Jesse grinned. and Paul paled. Father Dominic looked shocked. I smiled. "Just kidding. It's not like Me-Gladiators are dead boring."

Paul was muttering. "What the hell! I didn't know Me-Glafiators are sarcastic bitches!

I whizzed around and appeared, knife on his neck. "Say that again, Slater, and you'll wish you're never born, you homo-of-a-Mediator."


	2. Chapter 2

Father Dominic (weird, huh, a priest being called "Father" by the "Grim Reaper) politely offered to enlist me in his Mission as a Transfer student.

"Can you speak with an accent?" He asked.

"Duh. I've been communicating with all kinds of ghosts for sixteen years.

That's sorta true. I was sixteen last winter. (Can you imagining a newborn baby surviving in a _tomb_ during a blizzard?) I talked with ghosts since I met my foster dad, a.k.a. Grim Reaper, First Officer. I basically knew almost all the language in the world.

"I could be a Spanish student." I said. "I'm Star for… Starissa. And I'm from Spain, and I'm a Junior."

I know. How weird can a name like "Starissa" get?

"Ok. Well, to this Terminator here. Is he going to stay here with you?" Father Dominic asked, pointing to Timothy, pacing around and baring his teeth at Spike, Susannah's cat.

I rolled my eyes. "Dad-D, Tim's my _bodyguard_. Of _course_ he's staying. You could let him get a job. You know, a Security Guard's job."

Father Dominic looked thoughtful. Then he nodded, and I was free to go. I followed Susannah and Slater to their classroom with Father Dominic. He introduced me to the teacher.

"Hi. I'm Starissa… Orthia. I'm a transfer student from…Spain. But my parents were Greeks. But you can call me Star." I stuttered a bit, as I suddenly thought of my surname.

Orthia means the same as Artemis, Phoebe, or Diana. Well, I think I am a Hunter. Just a Hunter of Souls.

The teacher, Sister Marie-Rose, was very kind. She just smiled and ask me to take a seat. So I sat down beside Susannah.

"Hi. I'm Kelly Prescott." A pretty blonde sitting next to me introduced. "Do you know Jesse? I mean, you're both from Spain."

"Yeah. We're schoolmates. Me and Suze are penpals, and I introduced her to Jesse. So Jesse came here to see her, and I decided to see how they're getting on."

Wow. Susannah totally choked on _that_. I mean, Kelly Prescott's one obsessive girl. She only wants the hottest. And Paul Slater or Bryce Martinson wasn't the hottest guy in Carmel. It was Jesse, though he's in college now.

"Are you free this Saturday? I've got a Pool Party, and maybe you can ask Jesse if both of you can come." Kelly said.

Like I don't know she's making advances on Jesse.

"Oh, I don't know. You'll have to ask Suze. 'Cause now she's his girlfriend, so he won't leave for anywhere without her."

Kelly Prescott looked bitter. Ha! I guess Slater could not be compared with my "schoolmate".

Anyway, we had to listen to some boring tapes (Susannah assured me that it was way better than what she'd been listening to last term: a whining conversation between Dominique and Michel), whose objectives are to get us interested in a foreign language.

You guess what the Spanish story is: a wealthy heir off to meet his beautiful, wealthy, fiancée-cousin, but got killed on the way. Yeah. Totally "Jesse's Life-Story on How He Died".

Finally, it was lunch period. I found out that people eat outdoors as the Mission Academy had no _cafeterias_. I bought a school lunch, and followed Susannah and Jesse and sat on a bench around them. Susannah introduced me to two of her best friends: CeeCee Webb, a technology-whizz/albino, and Adam McTavish, a corny guy with a car.

Unfortunately, they were on a double date. CeeCee and Adam were feeding each other while she sat on his lap; Jesse's arms were around Susannah as she snuggled up to him. So, not wanting to be a fifth wheel, I threw the rest of my lunch (which was NOT appetising) to the seagulls. Too late, I forgot what happens if you feed them.

"Hey!" Some kid cried. "Look what you've done! Now all the seagulls are coming here for lunch!" This earned me some hard looks from everyone.

What? I stared back. You think I'm afraid of you? Me, a Me-Gladiator, scared of some high school kids? Hello, I could probably take your soul if I wanted! I mean, my dad's practically the Grim Reaper!

There are seven Grim Reapers. One on each continent. Mine is in North America. Each Grim Reaper's got seven apprentices. I happened to be the eldest (and most skilled).

Paul Slater, being the ever-Charming Guy he is, told the others to quieten down. NOT.

"Guys, Starissa Phoebe's had a tiresome day. It's not her fault if she takes it out on you."

I really feel like punching Slater. Or Timothy could punch him. I don't want to get nosebleed on my knuckles. I probably could break his nose.

I just glared at him. Then, ignoring the dirty looks the Kelly Prescott's clique (Dolce and Gabbana Nazis, CeeCee said) was giving me, I stomped off. To where, I don't know. But I was out of the Mission.

Sister Ernestine (a real nagging crow, Susannah informed me), spotted me as I walked out of the Mission."Miss Orthia! Where are you going? You cannot leave the school premises during school hours! And you _can't_ deck out in black leather, or wear sunglasses!"

I guess I was way tired. I just walked away, got into my car, and speeded all the way to the beach.


	3. Chapter 3

I was only allowed to wallow in angst for ten minutes. Because

my dad whizzed beside me in the form of a black crow.

Grim Reapers are professional Shape-Shifters, not like us amateurs. They could take on animal forms.

"Star. I told you to stay there. Now you promised you're going to control your anger—" He reprimanded.

"I know, dad. But Slater's SO irritating. Why can't you just reap his soul? If he's got any."

"I'm willing to do that. It's just that the Mayor (that's right, he's the ruler of the Underworld) said it's not his time."

The Mayor's name is Pluto, and his wife's called Persephone/Libera. But we all call her Libby.

"Damn. But he's trying to hinder me."

"I know. No doubt he's trying something underhand. You must try to get wind of what's he's trying, Star."

"Ok, dad."

"Star, if you succeed, you'll be granted a Title."

"I'll _definitely _succeed, dad."

A Title! Wow! It means that I would be given new powers, and new jobs. I could be a Part-Time Grim Reaper!

Unfortunately, I saw a very angry Father Dominic and Susannah and Jesse. I sighed and strided towards them.

"Star! What are you doing? How would you expect Sister Ernestine to react when I haven't expel you yet for truancy?" Father Dominic thundered.

I shrugged. "Father Dom, you're the _principal_. She's only a vice-principal. Besides, I don't give a damn what she thinks!"

"Star!"

"Do you want me to go back to class or not?"  
So I drove Susannah and Jesse and Father Dominic back to school. Susannah filled me in on what has happened.

"Sister Ernestine almost went ballistic. She ran to Father Dom's office screaming her head off. Kelly Prescott and the others were impressed by your gangbanger's antics. Though some sure disapproves of this."

"Like my dad. Thank god he didn't scream. He _couldn't _scream, in his present form. Imagine a crow screaming. Ugh."

So I got detention (no big deal), and Sister Ernestine threatened to inform my school and parents. That put Father Dominic on edge. I mean, my parents are dead, and I did not go to a school. So I just told her that she can go to my parents' graves and tell them whatever she likes. Her eyes went WIDE and she shut up, thankfully.

Alas, news get around. Within an hour I was labeled "Bad Orphaned Girl". Some hooligan wanted to ask me out. I politely refused by sinking my fist into his stomach. Stomach's the easiest way.

Easier than noses. You can't punch someone in the nose and not get your hands bloody. Besides, there are no dire consequences in punching in the stomach, unlike in the nose or eye.

Susannah kindly offered me a place to stay in. I agreed. She said that Father Dominic has kindly rented an apartment for Jesse. So I said, "Why couldn't he give _me_ an apartment?"

And she said, "'Cause you're a girl, so mom won't go crazy. Imagine what she'll do if I asked my boyfriend to stay with me."

Oh, that. Well, if her stepbrothers are as annoying as _that_, I'll have to punch them. But Susannah warned me not to. "Andy grounded me for punching Dopey. He might turn you out if you punched him."

So I was introduced to her stepbrothers. Jake was actually quite cute, except that he looked Sleepy. And Brad… let's just say he does not resemble Brad Pitt a LOT. But David is actually quite ok. Sweet, cute, and nice and intelligent. A pity he's underage.

OMG, Star, you did NOT just think of going out with a twelve-year old KID! Yes I did. Besides, his mind, if anything, is VERY mature.

So I moved in with Susannah, and then she offered to take me touring around Carmel. She showed me the local Historical Society. There I met the late Dr. Clemmings. Also, Susannah also showed me the local haunts of where most haunting occurred (pun intended, not).

"That's the cemetery. Quite popular among teens. Teen ghosts like to have their dates here. The guy will present a flower from a bouquet someone placed on a tombstone whose inhabitant is gone, and they would look out at the sea and be all lovey-dovey."

Thanks, but I'm not very interested in cadaver-wooing. Anyway, when we got back home, it's already six-thirty. We're late.

Susannah's mom was looking stormy. "Suze, I told you to be back at quarter past six, but—what?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ackerman, but you see, I had a fall. I tripped over a large rock (tombstone) and skinned my knee. She helped me bandage up." I shape-shifted my leg to look all raw and bandaged.

"Oh my, you poor darling. I'm sorry to blame you, Suze. Come and eat before the food gets cold."

Andy Ackerman's cooking was actually not bad. Way better than the school lunch. Quesadillas…mmm. With crotons in corn salads…

After dinner, Susannah got up to do kickboxing. I went up with her to see how good she is. She's ok, I guess. She can pack a punch. Me, being more of a leg person (I have longer legs than arms, duh!), prefers to kick someone's nose instead of punch. The reason I didn't do that today was because I did not want people staring underneath. (I had changed into a pleated skirt, purely because Sister Ernestine insisted.)

After that, I went downstairs to watch TV. Charmed was on, but Dopey wanted to watch rugby.

"How about I let you watch Charmed, but you go out with mre?" He asked hopefully.

"Not a chance, B.A. I-ah, already got a boyfriend."

Ok, a lie, but whatever. Who would want to go out with Dopey! In the end, Andy insisted Dopey let me watch Charmed 'cause I'm the guest. Well, too bad I didn't get a chance to kick his jaw.


	4. Chapter 4

I knew that the Academy has a strict anti-jeans rule. What I didn't know is that they got it in for _denim_ as well. I was wearing a denim jacket (it's Autumn!) and some black leather pants and spiky-soled sneakers. And I was totally busted. By charming Slater and Dopey.

Note: Stiletto heels are good for "stiling (fencing with other girls with heels)", combat boots for solid kicking, and spiky-soled sneakers for speed fighting. Track pants (sunny-weathered) and jeans (wet-weathered) for hand-to-hand combat, and leather for weaponry combat. But what can wearing corduroy pants do?

Anyway, Sister Ernestine asked me if I knew my jacket is made of denim. I said jeans and denim jackets, though made from the same materials, are completely different things. But Dopey and Slater kept on insisting that it was, maybe 'cause Dopey's mad at me for not letting him watch his stupid game.

Sister Ernestine said I either go back home and change, or help her look after the sixth graders during Homeroom Period.

Obviously, I don't give a damn about what missing school and going home means, so I went to the sixth graders. They were totally shocked to see me there. I mean, I'm a twelve-grader (supposed-to-be)!

I faked boredom and pretended to flip through some teenage magazines Susannah had lent me. It was _way _boring, yakking on and on about fashion, I took a fashion quiz and found out that I'm a Goth. Ha!

Until I spotted a familiar red-head. With sticky-outy ears. One glance at that knowledgeable face, and I know it's David. Smart guys always have nerdy names.

"Hey." He said and came over. I stopped looking at the magazines. "What'cha doing here?"

"I got ousted for wearing denim. Besides, I'm an exchange student, so they couldn't very well send me home."

David looked amused. "You didn't even try to defend yourself?" He asked, astonished.

"Of course not. Do you think she's gonna take it, me insisting

that a society that valued its members solely for their outward appearance was a society destined for destruction?" I asked.

David looked shocked. "How did you know that?" He asked, taken aback.

"I thought it's common sense." I said.

"No! I used that exact same line a year ago, when Sister Ernestine busted me for wearing Levi's.

"Ha! What a coincidence." It was really very funny. I guess I'm also quite intelligent.

Anyway, David and I chatted until the end of the period, where I was allowed to go back to class. That is, until I got my first super-natural phenomenal occurance of the spectral division in a _Catholic School_.


	5. Chapter 5

That's right. I thought Catholics all went to heaven peacefully? Well, apparently not _these_ ghosts. Believe me, there were at least ten of them. I was just walking along the hallway, but they all rushed at me from the stone pillars in the breezeway. They were holding, like, stones. But sharp ones.

I guess wearing leather and denim did pay off. Denim's too tough for sharp stones, and leather was too smooth for the stone to be stabbed into. I didn't have any weapon available. But I _can_ shape-shift, if not very professionally. I changed my nails to razor-sharp, and sliced away at them, hoping nobody could see us.

But seriously. Armed with _nails_ against a dozen ghosts with sharp rocks? Um, I'd rather not. I mentally asked for Timothy to come. And sure enough, Timothy came barreling out of the guard's house. He had on a baton. If you take off the cover, it reveals a dark-saber.

Ok, Star Wars joke aside, dark-sabers are used to destroy the dark. They do this by sucking the dark power from ghosts by just slicing through them. Sometimes I wish I was Wolverine. Boy, did I need a manicure from all the bacteria infected onto my nails. Not made of steel.

Timothy saw to it that the ghosts are properly "escorted" back to Underworld. Then, I went to Father Dominic's office.

The old guy was shocked about this. He immediately asked me to ask Susannah and Slater (I told him Paul was behind all these, but he doesn't want to listen), and went off to call Jesse. I asked Timothy to report back to my foster dad. Timothy nodded and whirled.

Ok, whirling is like, a gust of wind blows, and then Poof! you're

gone. Whizzing is when you suddenly speed away somewhere else, no wind. Orbing is slowly disappearing and reappearing on other places. Teleportation is the whole body wavering and then waveringly reappear. Materializing is slowly shimmering in and out of existence. Astral-projection is when you become unconscious and her soul go elsewhere. Got it? Terminators whirl. I don't know why they invent so many styles of disappearing, it's so confusing.

I offered to whiz to bring Jesse, but Father Dominic said that he's at work (delivering pizza, I know), and his clients might get rather shocked when the pizza boys disappears and the pizza drops to the floor.

Anyway, it was half-an-hour before we were gathered there.I told everyone about the attack, but not what my foster dad said about Slater up to something. And then Father Dominic was now planning on a schedule.

"Susannah, you and Jesse can patrol the outside world (namely, the city), Timothy and I will check the school grounds, and Star and Paul can spy on the graveyard." Father Dominic planned.

"Absolutely not! My Master, the Grim Reaper, will have an embolism know I let a gravedigger be near the respectable Catholic graves!" I protested.

"Father, I don't need the Me-Gladiator to help me. I can take care of myself!" Slater snapped.

"You're the ones with the most experience! Just do it!" Father Dominic ordered, only not the way they say it in Nike, He said it in the way the Wicked Witch of the West said it to the winged monkeys when she sent them out to kill Dorothy and her little dog, too. Except, of course, Father Dominic's a priest, and Slater and I actually wanted to kill each other.

Which was how, after school, Slater and I got to the cemetery separately; me in my limo, him by his BMW Convertible.

"You're late!" He snapped. He was speeding. Even though I could whizz, I don't want to do that, as I always felt a bit dizzy after that. Plus, I needed some things from my car.

"Whatever. Let's take turns watching, you first." I said,

"Why? You're late, so you first." Slater was complaining,

"Do you want me to reap your soul?" I threatened him.

"Do you want me to suck your soul?" He threatened me.

"Go ahead. My soul's already in the Underworld." I gave a hollow, soulless laugh. Slater gulped.

"Fine." He muttered some oaths and sat on a tombstone. He obviously had no respect of the dead. I went further back into the forest near the graveyard, and found a black crow-my foster father.

"Dad, I was being _attacked_ by a dozen ghosts this morning! They had sharp rocks and everything, but luckily Timothy was there." I

babbled.

"I know, Star. But you're alone with _him_ now. You need any help? I can sent Leo to help you." The Grim sounded concerned.

"There's no need. I can protect myself against that pathetic Mediator," I sneered.

"Star, I'm worried. Slater's got powerful connections. Since Timothy's not here, Leo would do just fine."

"Fine." I muttered. Leo was this totally cute Terminator. Intelligent, and brawny. But he's still a Terminator. Terminators are considered policemen, low-ranking. Me-Gladiators are like, government agents, high class, and Mediators are spies, middle-class. I really liked Leo a lot, but because of some stupid hierarchy class, we can't be together. Oh, well. At least I won't be stuck alone with Slater.

So it was just as well that Leo whirled into existence. Because Slater had just given off an awful shriek. Leo looked at me, and said, "I'll go. You take care," and left to help Slater. Not that he deserved it. I was feeling very impatient. And then I sensed someone behind me.

Too late, I wasn't able to whizz away in time. He was much more powerful than me. He choked me and his grip tightened around my neck. It was Hypnos, the God of Sleep. In the company of a God, Me-Gladiators or Terminators or Mediators could not use their powers without the Gods' permission.

He gazed at me bemusingly. "So, the Star Goddess died because I asked her to sleep? Well, sleep for eternity, my Goddess."

At that, my world become blank.


	6. Chapter 6

I was unconscious for days. But somehow, I could remember… No, I could telecommunicate! I suddenly remembered that Susannah can read people's minds by thinking about them. Leo must have told her that.

_Star, you alright? Where were you? That Terminator Leo said that Paul tricked us. I'm such a fool to have believed him. Apparently, Paul pretended he was dying, and lured Leo away from protecting you. It's very probable we're dealing with a God here._

**God, Suze. It's Hypnos. He called me a Star Goddess or something. But there's no such goddess. Besides, I'm only a Me-Gladiator, Grim Reaper-apprentice at best. What can he want with me? Can you help me tell my dad what happened? Tell him what happened and to SAVE ME!**

_Ok. Gotta go. Talk to you later._

I swear, this Me-Gladiator thing has gotten WAY complicated. First, I got bombarded by ghosts jabbing me with sharp rocks. Then, I was kidnapped by a God, just because he thinks I'm a Goddess of "Star". Actually, I'm supposed to be a Me-Gladiatrix. But how uncool does it sound? Like a Trixie Pixie? But you could call a Me-Gladiator "Torie". It sounds much nicer. I decided to change my middle name from Angel to Torie.

"So glad you're conscious, Star." Hypnos drawled. I forced myself to look away from his black, bottomless eyes. Nobody ever tried to stare him in the eye, not if they want to stay conscious.

"What do you want?"

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet. You do remember your mother, don't you, Angel?"

"What has my mother got to do with this? Wait till my foster father heard of this! He'll tell Hades!"

Hypnos raised an eyebrow. "What can he do? I'm a God too. At most we don't talk to each other. Anyway, your mother wasn't just any woman. She was Persephone's daughter."

What? Talk about me being related to the Mayor's daughter. "Then why wasn't I in the Royal Family?" I demanded.

"That foster father of yours, he's your real father."

No way! Dear Mr. Grim's NOT my dad.

"He was Helios. But of course the Sun and Underworld couldn't be together. So he had to left her, and Persephone was so angry, she killed her own daughter. But she haven't expected you. Now, there's this legend surrounding your birth. '_In the new millennium, the Sun will merge with darkness, and give rise to the Goddess of Star, the combination of Victory, Dawn, Moon, and Crossways. She will overthrow the darkness, and relinquish them with her light, and emerge bright.'"_

Great. No wonder Hades wasn't so fond of me, always giving me life-endangering missions. Why does everyone want me dead? It's not my fault I'm an illegitimate child!

"Your dad becomes a Grim Reaper to take care of you. He made a pact that as long as Apollo took over his job and Helios' look after you and never rise again, you will be safe. But Helios had a plan. He declared that if you survive this mission, the Gods are to give you a title, the Goddess of Star. That coincides with your unhealthy obsession about your supernatural talents."

Right. Was I gonna be called "Angel Star Nike/Victoria Aurora Selene/Luna Hecate Helios? A combination of all my Titles? Hmm, which one sounds better, Nike or Victoria? Selene or Luna? I would think Angel Star Nike Aurora Selene Hecate Helios sound nicer than Angel Star Victoria Aurora Luna Hecate Helios… Wait a minute. Why was I obsessing about some damn Goddess-Title? And me being a star that "overthrows darkness and relinquishing them with her light" part? Well, I'm a _Me-Gladiator_. I practically live in _Hell_. Why don't they let some angels with halos be the Star Goddess. Oh, I know. 'Cause my names are Angel and Star. Plus, whoever heard the Sun God was a _Grim Reaper_?

"Now I see this information is sinking into your dense head, I'll let you nod off." Hypnos decided.

You see, even if you weren't looking into his eyes, he'll talk you to sleep, or something. I swear he's got a hypnotizing aura that makes everyone drowsy. I must tell Susann—

Zzzz.


	7. Chapter 7

I tell you, I am sick of sleeping and waking for eternity. I want to have a choice, you know, and I'm actually hungry. It's not like without food I'll die, but food tastes nice. Plus, I haven't bathed in _weeks_.

_Star! Leo's looking for you everywhere, but he can't find Paul or you. Father Dominic let me skip classes, and Jesse and I were asking every ghost we can find._

How should I say it? Hey, Suze, I found out that because my Dad is actually the Sun God, so people want to kill me cause I'm a Star Goddess. That's so… _lame_. But that's what I did. Like I cared about being lame.

**Susannah, I have news. My foster father, Grim Reaper, is actually my real father, Helios the Sun God, and my mother is Persephone's, wife of Hades', daughter. I am supposed to inherit some powers and be a Star Goddess, and banish all the evil Gods… so that's why I'm kidnapped. Thing is, you can't kill a God. At least, not Hypnos.**

Star, it's Leo. Are you alright? You father and I are worried sick. I am now speaking through Jesse. Hades planned to exterminate your father. Now he is in hiding, and I can't locate him. We can't find Hypnos, 'cause he hypnotizes anyone that his haven doesn't exist.

**I'm fine, Leo. Just that I found out I'm a Star Goddess, and all the other Gods want to kill me. And my dad. But they haven't done it yet, as my dad is still on the loose.**

Well, once a God is killed, he's gone forever. Poof. Like my mom. I probably don't even know her name. I mean, Persephone had _loads_ of daughters. I'm probably her hundredth grandchild or something. And yet I'm special. Hey, how many Divinities are both _prophesized _and is a _Me-Gladiator _too? I think, only me.

"Yes, only you. Now get back to sleep. I've figured out how to get your old man here. We'll make a pact. If he kills himself, we'll give you amnesia so you'll live like a common human. You won't remember any Underworld or Me-Gladiator stuff. You'll still see ghosts, but you'll think you're dreaming it. That is, until you die, but that is a long while later."

You mean pig! You…! Please, Dad, don't care about me! But obviously my dad cares about me. I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up right there and then, and demands my safety. Completely sacrificing his own—

God, he's here.

"I think you've learned enough. Goodbye for ever, Star Goddess."

Last thing I know, I travelled through the fourth, fifth… tenth dimension to…


	8. Chapter 8

Sister Marie-Rose's class. I was dozing. Who am I? I think my name starts with A—

"Angel Frost! Are you paying any attention at the conversation between the tragedy of Hector de Silva and Maria de Silva?" Sister Marie-Rose demanded. "Or have you been sleeping again?"

Do I always sleep often? I could only think of one word, "Jesse…" It sounds so familiar, when I hear the words "Hector de Silva".

Sister Marie-Rose just glared at me. "Brad Ackerman!" She snapped. "What kind of Spanish tenses did Hector de Silva use with Maria de Silva?"

"Nombre de dios, querida." Brad grinned. Sister Marie-Rose looked mad.

'That's it! Off you go to Father Donovan's office! You too, Frost!"

Hmm. Brad-Dopey? Father Donovan… Father Dom? And, I thought I knew someone named. S… Soot?

"Oh, Susannah, don't you cry for me…" Simon was singing.

That's it. Susannah. S…Su…Susie? Suze?

"Hey, Angel, will you go to the Prom with me?" Bra-Dopey asked me.

I just ignored that and asked, "Hey, did your dad remarry?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Did you have a stepsister called Susannah?"

"No! My stepmother's marriage with my dad is her first…"

"Was there ever a principal called Father Dom…uh, Dominic or something? How about a Senior guy called Paul…S…?"

"You got amnesia or something?"

Well, _that_ was true.

"Ah, Ms. Frost, Mr. Ackerman, what's it _now_?"

Father Donovan was a portly, short man who always uses "Mr.'s" and "Ms.'s". He had thick blonde hair, and was a nervous, weedy-looking sort of fellow.

"We didn't pay attention." Dopey shrugged.

Why was I calling him Dopey?

"Well, detention after school, both of you."

And that was that. I tried talking to Dopey.

"Hey Do-Brad, did anyone ever called you Dopey?"

"Are you trying to be funny? People only call me Brad Pitt!"

Right. Like he's as good-looking.

I was wondering where I am living. But Dopey helped me sort that out.

"Hey, Spanish querida, let's go to your Carmel Lodging." He joked as we walked back "home" together.

I walked to a room I thought was mine. An attractive woman poked her head out next door.

"Hey, Angel. Or do you prefer Starissa?" She smiled.

Starissa? Weird but nice. Wait… I think that weird name is _nice_?

"How 'bout Star? I think I'll have a nap, if I may."

"Well, ok. But dinner's in an hour."

Then Mrs. Ackerman withdrew her head. I opened the knob. That's when I hear someone. Or something. A guy, glowing, looked up from a book he was reading at the window seat.

"Star!" He cried as he jumped up. I was not shocked. I recognized that voice anywhere. Hector de Silva's, or—

"J-Jesse?" I whispered.

"Star! We were so worried! Can you remember anything?" He peered at me, frowning. I shook my head.He sighed, and asked me to seat down beside him. "You're a Me-Gladiator. The tour guide/escort of ghosts to Underworld. Now, your enemy, Hypnos the Sleep God, made you have amnesia. He brought you to this parallel world, the tenth dimension. Leo, a Terminator, a.k.a. your bodyguard, ask me to help you regain your memory. I was a Mediator there, but this universe have no Mediators, so I'm still a ghost. Your dad, the Grim Reaper, is actually Helios, the Sun God. He sacrificed his life for your safety and for you to protect mankind. You are the Chosen One, Star, and it is prophesised that you will defeat the darkness. The Star Goddess of Victory, Dawn, Moon, and Crossways." Jesse held up the book he was reading. "_Hyperspace: a scientific odyssey through parallel universes, time warps and the tenth dimension, by Michio Kaku_"Ok. Too Harry Potter. Talk about prophesies and Chosen Ones. I just blinked."So we've got to create a Time Warp and travel back through the Twilight Zone, the Fourth dimension to our real time." He continued."How?" "Um, I don't know. Maybe you can wave your arms and summon your powers?""I don't even know I had any powers until now!" I exclaimed. "I know a way," came a macho, booming voice. I turned around. It was a totally cute guy. He looked as brawny as a lion. _Le Leo_, I thought."I'm Leo. Your Terminator. Your father sent me here. He just told me to imagine what life must be like without mediators or Terminators or Me-Gladiators. So I came here. And I told Jesse. So all you've got to do is imagine yourself as a Me-Gladiator. Come on, we'll try it."I thought it over. What does a tour guide/escort of the dead looked like? Some ox-headed, horse-faced weirdo, like the Chinese myths? Or some cool kick-butts like Melanie Beeby from Angels Unlimited? I just imagine as me, behaving what I'll do if I was asked to be a tour guide/escort. I'll be dressed in leather, like a Goth, and carries cool weapons, like ornate daggers. And Wham! I was in this totally strange world. Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my forhead. Oh God, did I have some lightning-shaped scar now? Or star-shaped, or moon-shaped, cross-shaped, snow shaped, or even worse, _angel-shaped_? I'm really feeling like Harry Potter! I'll remember not to laugh when I watched his movies again.


	9. Chapter 9

Sister Marie-Rose's class. I was dozing. Who am I? I think my name starts with A—

"Angel Frost! Are you paying any attention at the conversation between the tragedy of Hector de Silva and Maria de Silva?" Sister Marie-Rose demanded. "Or have you been sleeping again?"

Do I always sleep often? I could only think of one word, "Jesse…" It sounds so familiar, when I hear the words "Hector de Silva".

Sister Marie-Rose just glared at me. "Brad Ackerman!" She snapped. "What kind of Spanish tenses did Hector de Silva use with Maria de Silva?"

"Nombre de dios, querida." Brad grinned. Sister Marie-Rose looked mad.

'That's it! Off you go to Father Donovan's office! You too, Frost!"

Hmm. Brad-Dopey? Father Donovan… Father Dom? And, I thought I knew someone named. S… Soot?

"Oh, Susannah, don't you cry for me…" Simon was singing.

That's it. Susannah. S…Su…Susie? Suze?

"Hey, Angel, will you go to the Prom with me?" Bra-Dopey asked me.

I just ignored that and asked, "Hey, did your dad remarry?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Did you have a stepsister called Susannah?"

"No! My stepmother's marriage with my dad is her first…"

"Was there ever a principal called Father Dom…uh, Dominic or something? How about a Senior guy called Paul…S…?"

"You got amnesia or something?"

Well, _that_ was true.

"Ah, Ms. Frost, Mr. Ackerman, what's it _now_?"

Father Donovan was a portly, short man who always uses "Mr.'s" and "Ms.'s". He had thick blonde hair, and was a nervous, weedy-looking sort of fellow.

"We didn't pay attention." Dopey shrugged.

Why was I calling him Dopey?

"Well, detention after school, both of you."

And that was that. I tried talking to Dopey.

"Hey Do-Brad, did anyone ever called you Dopey?"

"Are you trying to be funny? People only call me Brad Pitt!"

Right. Like he's as good-looking.

I was wondering where I am living. But Dopey helped me sort that out.

"Hey, Spanish querida, let's go to your Carmel Lodging." He joked as we walked back "home" together.

I walked to a room I thought was mine. An attractive woman poked her head out next door.

"Hey, Angel. Or do you prefer Starissa?" She smiled.

Starissa? Weird but nice. Wait… I think that weird name is _nice_?

"How 'bout Star? I think I'll have a nap, if I may."

"Well, ok. But dinner's in an hour."

Then Mrs. Ackerman withdrew her head. I opened the knob. That's when I hear someone. Or something. A guy, glowing, looked up from a book he was reading at the window seat.

"Star!" He cried as he jumped up. I was not shocked. I recognized that voice anywhere. Hector de Silva's, or—

"J-Jesse?" I whispered.

"Star! We were so worried! Can you remember anything?" He peered at me, frowning. I shook my head.He sighed, and asked me to seat down beside him. "You're a Me-Gladiator. The tour guide/escort of ghosts to Underworld. Now, your enemy, Hypnos the Sleep God, made you have amnesia. He brought you to this parallel world, the tenth dimension. Leo, a Terminator, a.k.a. your bodyguard, ask me to help you regain your memory. I was a Mediator there, but this universe have no Mediators, so I'm still a ghost. Your dad, the Grim Reaper, is actually Helios, the Sun God. He sacrificed his life for your safety and for you to protect mankind. You are the Chosen One, Star, and it is prophesised that you will defeat the darkness. The Star Goddess of Victory, Dawn, Moon, and Crossways." Jesse held up the book he was reading. "_Hyperspace: a scientific odyssey through parallel universes, time warps and the tenth dimension, by Michio Kaku_"Ok. Too Harry Potter. Talk about prophesies and Chosen Ones. I just blinked."So we've got to create a Time Warp and travel back through the Twilight Zone, the Fourth dimension to our real time." He continued."How?" "Um, I don't know. Maybe you can wave your arms and summon your powers?""I don't even know I had any powers until now!" I exclaimed. "I know a way," came a macho, booming voice. I turned around. It was a totally cute guy. He looked as brawny as a lion. _Le Leo_, I thought."I'm Leo. Your Terminator. Your father sent me here. He just told me to imagine what life must be like without mediators or Terminators or Me-Gladiators. So I came here. And I told Jesse. So all you've got to do is imagine yourself as a Me-Gladiator. Come on, we'll try it."I thought it over. What does a tour guide/escort of the dead looked like? Some ox-headed, horse-faced weirdo, like the Chinese myths? Or some cool kick-butts like Melanie Beeby from Angels Unlimited? I just imagine as me, behaving what I'll do if I was asked to be a tour guide/escort. I'll be dressed in leather, like a Goth, and carries cool weapons, like ornate daggers. And Wham! I was in this totally strange world. Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my forhead. Oh God, did I have some lightning-shaped scar now? Or star-shaped, or moon-shaped, cross-shaped, snow shaped, or even worse, _angel-shaped_? I'm really feeling like Harry Potter! I'll remember not to laugh when I watched his movies again.


	10. Chapter 10

NOLAVA HIGH

"Are you alright?" Leo asked, helping me to my feet. Jesse did not come with us. "No." I could hear someone hissing, like Lord Voldemort. I bet it's Hypnos the Sleep God. "So, that precious daughter of yours is worth your life, isn't it? Well, too bad, Helios. I'm going to send _you_ into a Parallel Universe, where you won't even exist as a God… Apollo will obliterate you before you were born…" I was so angry, I whizz myself straight to where Hypnos and my father were. I'd forgotten that Gods can "evaporate". Like, gradually ease from this place into the next, like water evaporating and water vapour condensing. But I'm still a Godling, so I "evapowhizz"ed myself there. "Family reunion, aren't we? Come to join your father into exile? Come to think of it, I'll sent the whole load of them there. The three Mediators and your boyfriend Terminator won't even exist there." Hypnos sneered contemptuously.

I was real frustrated. First, he tried to kill me. Then he threatened my father. I'm so sick of traveling between Universes, I was getting jet-lagged. Or "universing-lagged". So I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.

I smiled sweetly at him. "I've got a surprise for you." I snapped my fingers. "You will travel across the Crossways and go to the Universe where you hypnotized yourself to sleep and never wake up! You will sleep for eternally when you see the Moon and Dawn together!

And my Victory sign will be when a falling star in the heavens, you, fall across all the Universes for all eternity!"

And then he was gone.

"He's gone? Just like _that_?" Father Dominic asked eagerly.

I shifted back in my seat. "Yeah. You know, in that Universe, the principal wasn't you. It's a stout, weedy-looking guy called Father Donovan. And Sister Marie-Rose was even worse than Sister Ernestine. Oh, and Suze don't exist. Jesse is still a ghost. And Dopey likes me." Leo scowled a little. Susannah raised an eyebrow. "But he still likes you now." "You know what he said to me that helped me remember? He was singing, 'Oh Susannah, don't you cry for me'. He also called Sister Marie-Rose 'querida'. That reminded me of Jesse." "So, Hypno's dead now. What do you plan to do?" Leo asked my father, Helios, who took on the form of a wizened old man. "It's time for you to choose your destiny. Which Goddess part you want to be dominant. You want to win, or to travel from the Underworld to the Earth, be hopeful, or be silent and eerie. Shooting stars have hopes, asteroids travels, comets are a form of bad luck, and constellations always win. What _are_ you, daughter?" He peered into my amber-coloured eyes, as though he could see the stars inside. They've got it wrong anyway. I don't have blonde hair. I have brunette hair. And I don't glow like a star, I'm only tanned. The only part of me that is slightly yellow is my eyes (well, amber, but that's a type of yellow). They might do better suggesting Leo as a star, I mean, besides being a Horoscope sign, he also have blonde hair, and he looks hot, way cuter than Brad Pitt. Or Dopey. I shrugged. "I'm not sure, dad. But I don't think I'm hopeful, or silent and eerie. I mean, no, definitely, NOT silent. I talk WAY too much. But I don't know if I'm bad luck. Being Me-Gladiators—" "—Me-Gladiatrixes," my father corrected. I ignored him. "Being Me-Gladiators and all, we attracts bad luck. And I'm already travelling a lot between the Spiritual Plane and Now, or between Universes and Zones. I am not a sore-loser, and I have a high sense of Sportsmanship, so I don't think I'm either of them. Maybe I'm a combination of them all." My father was agitated. "But you must choose! The prophesy!" "Do I give a damn about some prophesies? This is _my_ life! This

might happened before and it might not, but I'll make sure that when it's MY time, I'm making MY choice, and MY choice is that I'll be the Star, all four combined together. Anyway, it's supposed to be all four combined together, not separated into a 1D person. I'm a 4D person, even better than 3D people, so I don't care what this poxy prophesy say, I'm doing what I want." My father looked troubled. "Never, in all eons of eternity, has anyone come up with such an absurd theory. But you're my precious Star, and I'll always be behind you." Aww, dad, that's sooo sweet! But of course, tough ole' me won't say that. I smiled. "Thanks, father." Somehow, I still preferred the formal way of "Father" to the flippant "Dad". I mean, surely _you_ would revere your father if he's a veteran God turned Grim Reaper and sacrifices his life for you? Father Dominic coughed. Now, I call him "Father" for a completely different reason. One, he's a priest. Two, he's so dignified and all, you don't want to embarrass him by calling him "Dad". "Susannah, Star, shouldn't you two get back to class?" So Susannah (I didn't call her "Suze" as everyone else, because "Suze" makes me think of "Shoes", and "Susannah" sounds so nice. Better than the weird name "Starissa", so I prefers being called "Star" instead) and me got back to class. Even though I practically spent one whole day in a Parallel Universe, I got back at exactly the same second.

"So…" Susannah was saying, "do you want to be a Goddess?" "No." I was surprisingly thoughtful. "It's enough being a Me-Gladiator and an Intern Grim Reaper, not to mention being a Goddess. Plus I had to choose which Goddess, too." Susannah nodded sympathetically as she reached for the door to the Geometry class, taught by Sister Mary Catherine. "I totally understand…" I suddenly blurted out of inner thoughts. "Plus, being a Goddess, you have to take a vow of celibacy. And I really… you know, like Leo. Even though it is basically against the law of Underworld for a Me-Gladiator and a Terminator to get together, as they're supposedly on a lower scale of existence, but Leo's way too smart and hot to be a Terminator…" We were cut off by Sister Mary Catherine, who was glaring at us, saying, "Are you coming in or not?" So we came in for the lesson.


End file.
